I am pleased to announce, John Collins will be back to defend his title as King of the Outeniqua's! However, things will not be easy for our Knysna hero! Hot on his heels will be the likes of Cas van Aardenne, Graham Bird, Nic de Beer and Dirk Cloete. The George based Jacques (2nd in 2009) and Eddie Mouton (1st in 2008) will also be gunning for a top spot. Cape Odyssey winner, Mauritz Jansen van Rensburg is also in the mix. There are always a few unknowns who will also be looking to make a name for themselves, so we will be waiting with eager expectation to see who is who in the zoo come 7 August 2010.
In the ladies race, Hanlie Booyens and Tatum Prins will be fighting things out, and Esther Lategan (winner of 2010 38 km Hell Run) will also be a lady to watch. Once again there are some unknown names, but it is anyone's guess who will be the new Queen of the Outeniqua's in 2010 - Annemien Ganzevoort will not be able to defend her title as she is working in the far east at the moment.
The 2010 route is the reverse of the 2009 route with some variations thrown in to keep things interesting. Runners will start at the Botanical Gardens in George, run up to and through Tonnelbos (a 400 m climb to get there). Then it is a long steady downhill to the Old George Dam, followed by a long climb up to Tierkop Hut. After a quick stop for refreshments, runners will head onto the wild stretch of trail between Tierkop and North Station. With very little space for overtaking on the trail, this will be the ideal oppurtunity for the runners with strong technical abilities to open up the lead. Runners will traverse a ridgeline along Dizzy Hieghts before descending along the dangerous switchbacks to the Kaaimens River (at this point nothing more than a mountain stream). At North Station runners will once again enjoy a drink and something to eat before heading out on the gruelling Craddock Pass. Some navigational decision making will be required on the Forest Buzzard hiking trail in Witfontein before runners head back to the Botanical Gardens in what could be a sprint for line honours.
What will the weather do? Will we have warm and sunny weather with Berg winds or will it be cloudy with drizzle, heavy rain or even snow on the peaks? This is trail running, and runners will take whatever comes their way come race day!
